I'd Come for You
by Longing for Oblivion
Summary: When Mac learns the hard way that Peyton changed her mind about staying in London he's determined to make sure he won't lose her again. But when it becomes clear that someone's after her he has to wonder if determination is enough to keep her safe.
1. A surprising new case

_**Discs.:**__ I don't own the show nor the characters!_

_**Summary:**__ Despite knowing that what Peyton wrote in her letter is right Mac can't help missing her, a part of him wishing he hadn't just accepted her decision. When he finds out the hard way that Peyton changed her mind and is back in NYC as she becomes the victim of a violent crime he's determined to make sure that he won't lose her again. However, when it becomes clear that what first seemed like a random attack is anything but Mac has to face the fact that determination might not be enough..._

_**Pairing:**__ Peyton/Mac_

_**Genres:**__ Angst, Drama, Crime, Hurt/Comfort, Suspense, Romance, Friendship_

_**Spoilers:**__ Season three and four up to "The Thing With Heroes"_

_**A/N:**__ Well, here's yet another new Pac-story! The title is based on a song by Nickelback with the same title, which somewhat inspired the original idea of the story, if you don't know the song you should check it out coz it's goddamn awesome and in my opinion it fits perfectly! And just so you know, writing the damn summary took me almost longer than writing this first chapter, I changed it a felt million times - it drove me totally insane... Anyways, have fun reading the story!_

* * *

**I'd Come for You**

_1. A surprising new case_

Walking down the hallway in the surprisingly rather empty ER Mac tried to stifle a yawn, what was pretty much pointless considering that it was almost midnight and he had practically worked non-stop the last three days. In fact he had just gotten home about forty minutes before he had been called in on the new case. Though it wasn't really bothering him that he had to work, if he was honest he was actually glad for the distraction, plus he couldn't sleep anyways so he could at least use his time being productive.

Nearing the examination-room where he was supposed to meet up with Stella he couldn't help but sigh, wondering once more why she had asked him to come to the hospital as well, however, before he was able to figure it out he had reached the room.

Pushing his thoughts aside he shook slightly his head and opened the door. Upon entering the room Mac looked up and a frown appeared on his face as he caught sight of Stella. She sat on the edge of the bed, her back turned to the door and was quietly talking with the vic.

Sure, it wasn't unusual that Stella tried to comfort the victims, however, normally she paid attention to doing so within the boundries of professionalism, to keep a certain distance...

Reminding himself of the fact that he should better focus he closed the door and walked further into the room.

Apparently Stella had heard him enter considering that she went silent and turned slightly around to look at him, though she still blocked his view at the victim.

"So, Stella, why did you ask me to come here?" Mac inquired eventually, eyebrows raised.

Instead of saying anything in response Stella simply straightened up and pulled slightly back so he could see the victim.

As he saw that it was Peyton Mac froze, being incapable of hiding his surprise.

"Hey Mac..." Peyton muttered barely above a whisper, her eyes glistening with tears.

Taking in her appearance he gasped and a shocked expression crossed his face. There was a laceration right next to her right temple, she seemed unusually pale and he could already see several bruises forming.

Eventually having overcome the first surprise - if not to say shock - he went closer to the bed.

Noticing a tear rolling down her cheek a moment later he said softly,

"Peyton..." With that he quickly closed the remaining space between them and sitting down on the bed he drew her into his arms.

For a second or two Peyton tensed up, but soon relaxed as Mac drew her even closer. Squeezing her eyes shut she buried her face in his chest, her hands clenching tightly his shirt to either side of her head.

After a short moment of consideration Stella stated, deciding to give them some privacy,

"I'll wait outside." With that she got up, grabbed her kit and the evidence-bags and left the room.

Mac was barely aware of how Stella left, his entire attention being focused on Peyton, who was by now shaking violently due to her sobs, clinging to him like a lifeline. Stroking softly her back with his right hand, whispering soothing words to her, he rested his left hand at the back of her head.

* * *

As she closed the door behind her Stella released a slightly exhausted sigh. Coming to the conclusion that she could use some coffee and not really feeling like just sitting around she eventually decided to quickly head to the diner across the street.

While waiting for her coffee Stella couldn't keep her mind from drifting off to when she had arrived at the scene...

_**Flashback:**_

_Straightening up after ducking under the crime scene tape at the entrance of the apartment Stella took a quick look around and soon caught sight of Flack talking with two uniformed officers, while Hawkes was already starting to process the scene._

_Apparently Flack had seen her enter since he ended the conversation and came toward her._

_"Hey Flack..." She greeted him as they met halfway._

_"Hey..." He said, a weak smile crossing his features._

_"What do you know so far?" She asked._

_"Not much... There are no obvious signs of forced entry, so the attacker might have had a key - we're still trying to figure out who has one..." Flack started._

_"Well, maybe the vic knew the attacker, let him in..." Stella mused._

_Flack shook slowly his head and pointed out,_

_"That's possible but quite unlikely."_

_"Why?"_

_"The tenant, Lilian Cartwright, is currently out of town. Some business trip..." He explained rather evasively._

_Stella frowned slightly, but then she simply wanted to know,_

_"Who called it in?" _

_"Neighbor next door called the police around 10:40, said he heard a lot of noise as well as several screams from in here. Dispatch sent a patrol over, though as they got here about ten minutes later everything was quiet. They knocked, but got no reaction, however, considering that the neighbor had mentioned that he had heard someone scream they thought someone might be hurt so they broke the door down..." He trailed off._

_"So, since Lilian Cartwright is out of town - what can you tell me 'bout the vic?" Stella inquired after a moment of silence._

_At that question a deep frown appeared on Flack's face and he remained quiet for a moment, before he let his shoulders hang and taking a deep breath he stated,_

_"It's Peyton..."_

_Hearing that a shocked expression crossed her face, but she didn't say anything in response, as she tried to comprehend what she had been told._

_Flack eyed her suspiciously and mused,_

_"You knew as well that she's back in New York, didn't you?"_

_"I met her the other week when I went for a coffee during work..." She said after a moment of thinking and shrugged slightly, before eventually asking,_

_"What do you know 'bout her condition?"_

_Flack sighed then he replied,_

_"Well, as far as I know she was bleeding from a head injury and was unconscious when the unis found her, so they requested an ambulance. They were just leaving when I got here and should be at the hospital by now. Since you and Peyton are friends I think you should head to the hospital..." He trailed off and gave her a questioning glance._

_Stella nodded slowly in agreement and stated,_

_"I'm just gonna get some stuff for her and then I'll head over there." Stella paused for a moment then she inquired,_

_"Did you already call Mac?"_

_"Eh, no... Not yet. I don't think it would be wise to tell him before we know more, after all, he will take this personal - and you know how he can get then."_

_Stella only nodded once more, knowing that Flack had a point there._

_"Anyways, I'll talk with some of the neighbors now, maybe one of them knows something." Flack said after a moment of silence._

_"Alright." Stella stated, causing Flack to turn and leave._

_A few seconds later Stella let out a soft sigh and went to the spare-room to get some clothes and toiletries for Peyton._

_At the hospital, about thirty minutes later:_

_Once she had arrived Stella headed straight for the reception and said to one of the nurses,_

_"Excuse me, I'm Detective Bonasera from the New York Crime Lab, I'm looking for Peyton Driscoll."_

_The young nurse nodded slightly and typed something on the keyboard in front of her and after taking a look at the computer screen she replied,_

_"Well, I think the doctor is still examining her, but I can lead you to the right room..."_

_"That would be great." Stella stated._

_Nodding once more the nurse got up and led her down one of the hallways. Only a minute or two passed before they stopped in front of a closed door. _

_Turning toward Stella the nurse stated with a polite smile,_

_"I'll let the doctor know that you're here."_

_"Thanks." Stella said in response._

_The nurse nodded slightly and knocked against the closed door in front of them._

_"Yeah?" A female voice was heard almost immediately and the nurse opened the door and went into the room._

_It didn't take long before she returned and told Stella,_

_"Dr Miller will be done examining her in a few minutes." _

_After Stella thanked her she turned and went to get back to the nurse's station, leaving Stella to her thoughts._

_Stella wasn't quite sure how much time had passed when the door in front of her was opened and the doctor came out, though she assumed it had been indeed only a few minutes._

_The black woman - Stella guessed she was in her mid to late thirties - closed the door again and said,_

_"I'm Dr Miller, I assume you're the detective from the crime lab?"_

_"Yes. How is she doing?"_

_"Well, she has a heavy concussion along with several abrasions and other minor injuries. She's been unconscious when she got here, but regained consciousness several minutes ago." The doctor replied._

_"Can I go inside?" Stella asked._

_The doctor nodded and said,_

_"Sure... Well, I gotta go. If you have any questions you can ask one of the nurses to page me."_

_"Thanks." Stella stated and watched the doctor leave, before heading into the examination-room. _

_As Stella entered the room and closed the door behind her Peyton looked up and watched her approaching and putting her kit on the chair to Peyton's right._

_Stella noticed almost immediately the exhaustion written all over the other woman's face._

_"Hey..." Peyton greeted quietly, forcing a smile onto her lips._

_"Hey Peyton..." Stella paused, then she wanted to know,_

_"How are you feeling?" She had to admit that considering the circumstances it was a quite stupid question, but still..._

_For a few seconds a thoughtful frown appeared on Peyton's face before she released a heavy sigh and letting her shoulders hang she replied,_

_"I'll be okay..."_

_Stella only nodded instead of saying anything._

_"I'm gonna need the clothes you've been wearing earlier..." She broke eventually the silence. _

_Peyton simply pointed at the other chair where her clothes were lying. _

_Nodding once again Stella opened her kit and put on a pair of gloves before grabbing an evidence-bag and walking around the bed to bag the clothes. Once she had closed and labeled the bag Stella walked back around the bed and put it down next to her kit, before looking back at Peyton and saying,_

_"I'm also gonna have to take some pictures of your injuries and samples..." She trailed off._

_"Of course..." Peyton replied quietly._

_Stella gave a slight nod and got her camera out of her kit. As she started taking pictures of Peyton's injuries the other woman closed her eyes, trying to avoid the bright flash light of the camera._

_Being done with taking photographs Stella put the camera back into her kit. _

_A moment later Stella started to scrape underneath Peyton's fingernails for fibers and pieces of skin, remaining silent for the time being._

_When she was done and had put the small evidence-bag away she frowned slightly. After another short while of silent contemplating Stella spoke up again and asked softly,_

_"Did he rape you?"_

_At that question Peyton bit her lower lip and let her head hang. As she looked back at Stella a few seconds later her eyes were glistening with tears and she muttered,_

_"I... I'm not sure... Maybe after I passed out..."_

_**End flashback**_

Hearing some sort of noise from down the hallway Stella snapped out of her thoughts. Releasing a soft sigh she lifted the still almost full papercup in her hand and took a gulp of her by now barely lukewarm coffee.

Before she could drift off with her thoughts again her cell phone started ringing. Not bothering to check the caller's ID first she simply answered the call,

"Bonasera."

_"Hey, it's Hawkes."_

"What's up?" Stella wanted to know.

* * *

For several minutes they just sat there like that, the silence only interrupted by his whispers and her sobs, though eventually the tears were slowly subsiding. However, even after she had calmed down a bit she didn't make a move. Instead she kept her eyes shut, inhaling his soft scent, while Mac kept stroking her back.

A short while later Mac pulled slightly back to look at Peyton. Lifting his right hand to her face he started wiping her tears away, but he didn't say anything. As he caught once more sight of the laceration on her forehead he asked,

"What happened?"

"Are you asking me that because you really wanna know - or just because it is your job?" Peyton inquired, a hard expression on her face.

Sure, in the back of her mind she already knew the answer, but she simply had to ask, needed to hear it from him; she just didn't want to think that he still cared just to have to realize later that she didn't mean anything to him anymore - that he hated her for what she had done...

Mac couldn't help being startled by her question, however, after a few seconds he stated, caressing softly her cheek,

"Listen Peyton, of course I wanna find whoever did this to you, but most of all I want you to be okay." He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, starting to trace carefully the outlines of the wound on her head he wanted to know,

"Does it still hurt?"

At his soft touch Peyton closed momentarily her eyes and shook slightly her head, while replying,

"Not really..."

For a moment he simply studied her face, searching for any signs that could lead to the assumption that she was lying. However, as he found none he started caressing her cheek once again and told her,

"I'm gonna go and talk with Stella... I'll be back in a few, okay?"

Seeing Peyton nod slowly he got up and left.

As he closed the door behind him Stella turned toward him and he could tell that she was trying to figure out what was going through his mind. However, before she was able to say or ask something Mac wanted to know,

"What did the doctor say?"

"Well, she has several minor injuries along with a serious concussion." Stella replied.

After a moment of silence Mac took a deep breath and asked,

"Was she..." He trailed off, incapable of bringing himself to finish the question. If he was honest with himself he had to admit that he wasn't quite sure if he really wanted to hear the answer, the simple thought of Peyton having been raped being unbearable to him.

_Tbc_

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Thanks for reading, I hope you liked this first chapter! I'm already working on the next chapter, however, I have no clue when I will be able to actually update... Please take the time to let me know what ya think and REVIEW!_


	2. Questions and Nightmares

_**A/N:**__ Here's finally the update! I gotta admit that some of the dialogue didn't quite turn out the way I had in mind, but well, that's kinda my own fault - if I had started working on this chapter right away I won't have forgotten half of the beginning of it, right? One more thing, I made a few slight changes in the first chapter and reposted it. However, the important change is that at the part when Stella gets a call (after the flashback), it was originally Flack, but I changed it now to Hawkes for certain reasons (just mentioning it so you won't get confused)... Anyways, I hope you will like the new chapter!_

* * *

**I'd Come for You**

_2. Questions and nightmares_

"Was she..." He trailed off, incapable of bringing himself to finish the question. If he was honest with himself he had to admit that he wasn't quite sure if he really wanted to hear the answer, the simple thought of Peyton having been raped being unbearable to him. He couldn't stand the thought of Peyton having to go through that, didn't want to have to think about her as a victim or of her having to go through everything that came along with being raped - examinations, seemingly never-ending questioning, facing the person in a trial or having to deal with the person never being caught...

Seeing the look on her friend's face, the fear in his eyes, Stella's facial expression softened. Lifting her left hand to his shoulder, squeezing it lightly, she shook slightly her head and replied,

"No Mac, she wasn't raped..." Noticing the glimpse of relief flashing over Mac's features Stella paused for a moment, before she added with slight hesitation,

"He tried to, but Peyton fought back. However, he beat her quite badly in the process and tried to strangle her..."

At that Mac closed momentarily his eyes, letting slightly his head hang, trying hard not to think too deeply about what Stella had said, though that was of course way easier said than done. Pinching the bridge of his nose he sighed, before he eventually looked back at Stella.

Just as he had come to the conclusion that it would probably be best if he focused on finding out what Stella could tell him about what had happened he heard someone approaching. Turning to look into the direction where the steps came from he couldn't keep a surprised expression from crossing his face as he saw that it was Flack.

Before Mac was able to say something Stella asked, seeming almost as surprised as Mac,

"What are you doing here?"

"Eh, well, since I was about to head to the precinct now and would have driven into this direction anyway I figured I could simply stop here and tell you what I know in person instead of calling you." Flack replied and shrugged.

Mac gave a slight nod, then he inquired,

"So, what do you know so far?" He gave his two colleagues a questioning look.

Flack exchanged a glance with Stella then he started,

"First of all, before you ask - the canvass of the apartment building got me nothing useful. Beside the neighbor who called it in there were only a few who heard the noise and how someone screamed, however, nobody saw anything."

Mac thought for a second or two before wanting to know,

"Does the building have any surveillance cameras?"

"Yeah, one at the entrance and backdoor as well as in front of the building and three in the underground parking-lot. Furthermore several of the surrounding buildings have surveillance cameras as well. I already got a subpoena for the tapes, they should be on the way to the lab by now." Flack told him.

After a moment Mac asked,

"Any idea of how whoever did this got into the apartment?"

Stella nodded slightly and replied,

"Well, I just got off the phone with Hawkes a few minutes ago, he said they've found fresh tool-marks on the lock of the front-door of the apartment." She paused for a second or two, then she added,

"And Peyton told me that the guy who attacked her had already been in the apartment when she got there."

"Could it be that she surprised a burglar?" Mac inquired eventually.

"It's certainly a possibility..." Stella said.

"What about the tenant of the apartment?" Mac wanted to know.

"Lilian Cartwright... She's on a business trip, so far I couldn't reach her. However, I'm gonna keep trying and will run a background check on her when I get back to the precinct." He paused for a short moment, then he offered,

"Either way since it's already late and all I guess it would be best to let Peyton get some rest and wait with questioning her 'til tomorrow..." He gave Mac a questioning look. Seeing him nod in agreement Flack added,

"Well, I'll call if I find something."

After watching Flack walk away Mac focused his attention back on Stella and asked,

"You already found something else so far, beside the tool marks on the door-lock?"

"Eh, not yet, but they're still processing the scene..." Stella replied.

"What about Peyton, did she tell you what happened?"

Shaking slightly her head no Stella told him,

"Not really anything beside that she had dinner with an old friend and that short after she had gotten back to Lilian's apartment someone attacked her..." She paused for a moment, then she added,

"And I didn't want to push her."

At that Mac nodded slightly in understanding.

For a minute or two they both remained silent then Stella said,

"Well, I'm gonna head to the lab now and already start processing some of the evidence."

Nodding once more Mac stated,

"Alright, call when you got something."

"Of course." With that Stella crouched down, picking up her kit and the evidence bags, and went to leave.

Watching Stella walk away Mac got momentarily lost in thought. Once his colleague had disappeared around a corner he let out a sigh and turned around to head back into the examination-room.

Entering the room he stopped for a moment in the door-way, just looking at Peyton, who seemed totally lost in thought. Eventually he closed the door and walking up to her he asked softly, trying not to startle her,

"You're okay, Peyton?"

At the sound of his voice she snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him, watching him approach she nodded slightly and said,

"I was just thinking."

As he sat down on the chair to her left they locked eyes for a while, remaining silent for the time being. However, a couple of minutes later Peyton broke eye-contact and turned slightly around, causing Mac to frown. Observing how she grabbed a bag from the chair standing at the other side of the bed and moved to get up his frown deepened and he inquired,

"What are you doing?"

Pausing in the movement Peyton looked at him and replied,

"I want to change clothes so I can get out of here."

"Peyton, you have a concussion..." Mac tried to reason with her.

"I know, but that's not gonna change my decision to leave and get to a hotel." Peyton said.

Hearing that Mac frowned again and stated,

"No, you're not gonna stay at a hotel right now." Seeing Peyton open her mouth to protest he lifted his right hand and told her with a determined look,

"It's not up for discussion, Peyton, there's no way you're gonna stay at a hotel while whoever attacked you is still on the loose. If you really wanna leave the hospital I'm either going to call Stella and you're staying with her, or you're staying with me."

While he had been talking Peyton had let her head hang, however, at those last words she looked back at him, a glimpse of surprise crossing her features.

They locked eyes for a moment before Peyton looked away. After a second or two she lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, yet he still noticed how a small, thoughtful frown appeared on her face. A short time later she took a deep breath and broke eventually the silence.

"Well, since Stella's busy I'm gonna stay with you, if that's okay?" She asked quietly and a second later she looked back up at him.

Noticing the expression of uncertainty in her eyes Mac smiled softly and assured her,

"Of course you can stay with me." He paused for a moment, then he told her,

"I'll wait outside." Seeing her nod slightly he got up and left the examination-room.

_At Mac's place, about 40 minutes later:_

The ride from the hospital to where Mac lived had passed in perfect silence. After stopping the car and turning the engine off Mac looked at Peyton, who was completely lost in thought, simply studying her face for a while.

Feeling Mac's eyes on her Peyton snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look at Mac, locking eyes with him. A moment later they broke eye-contact and got out of the car.

They headed silently inside the building and up to his apartment. Nearing the door Mac already pulled out his keys and only a minute or two later he had unlocked and opened the door.

As she followed Mac slowly inside Peyton got lost in her thoughts, not even noticing when Mac disappeared into another room. If she was honest she had to admit that it felt weird to be back in his apartment. The truth was she hadn't expected to ever set a foot into Mac's apartment again, not even after she had changed her mind about returning to London - not after what she had done...

Entering the living-room she stopped after only a few of steps, getting instantly overwhelmed by memories - memories of all those wonderful moments they had shared flooding her mind. She couldn't help thinking about all the times they had been sitting on the couch talking, Mac holding her in his strong arms, letting his fingers run through her hair; about all those nights he had made love to her, the way he had kissed and touched her... Only a moment later a pained expression crossed her face at the thought that all of that was in the past - she had destroyed what they used to have when she had decided to stay in London and the fact that she had changed her mind couldn't change that fact, couldn't make up for the damage her actions had done to their relationship.

Thinking back to when she had written and sent that letter to Mac Peyton let her head and shoulders hang. She still felt aweful for what she had done, for hurting Mac.

She had regretted writing and sending that letter already minutes after she had let the envelope drop into the mailbox, letting it disappear in the pile of other letters, though of course she had at first refused to admit it to herself. However, it hadn't taken long before she had become incapable of hiding how much it pained her that she'd had to sacrifice her relationship with Mac in order to be close to her family.

Before long she had started falling apart and with every day that passed it became worse. She couldn't eat or sleep, she became completely apathetic, breaking down into tears countless times...

"Peyton?" Mac's voice disrupted her in her thoughts and as she looked at him, he asked, a worried expression on his face,

"You're okay?"

"Eh, yeah... I was just thinking." Peyton replied, watching him approach.

He nodded slightly and stopping a step or two away from her he told her,

"Well, I put clothes you can wear in the bathroom of the bedroom." Seeing the questioning expression on her face he added,

"I'm going to sleep in the spare-room."

Peyton nodded slightly, before heading to the bedroom.

After entering the bathroom and closing the door she caught almost immediately sight of a white t-shirt lying over the rim of the bathtub.

Taking off her top she bit her bottom lip as a wave of pain rushed through her body. Ignoring the protest of her sore body she turned slightly around and put it onto the rim of the bathtub. Straightening up and turning back around she froze when she looked into the mirror over the sink. Taking a look at her reflection Peyton's eyes welled up with tears as her mind went back to what had happened earlier and she squeezed them shut.

Opening her eyes again she continued with undressing. Trying to stifle a yawn Peyton reached for the t-shirt, but then she hesitated for a moment before grabbing another one and putting it on. A moment later she padded back to the bedroom.

Peyton had just laid down and pulled the sheets over her when she heard Mac return. Turning onto her left side and sitting up she saw that he was carrying a tea-pot and a cup. Watching him put both down on the nightstand next to her she got momentarily lost in her thoughts, before muttering,

"Thanks..."

"No problem, Peyton..." Mac stated, smiling softly at her, then he added,

"Goodnight."

Just as he was about to leave he heard her say his name and he turned back to look at her. As they locked eyes Peyton stated quietly,

"Stay..."

He noticed the need in her voice as she said that one word, the fear, and saw the pleading expression in her eyes, so he told her,

"Okay... I'll be right back..."

Hearing that Peyton let out a low sigh of relief, a tiny smile appearing on her face. A moment later Mac left and Peyton laid back down.

Curling slightly up and pulling the sheets tighter around her Peyton closed her eyes. As she breathed in Mac's soft scent surrounding her, lingering on the pillows and blanket, she relaxed a bit. Even though it wasn't the same as being hold by him, the simple presence of Mac's scent had always made her feel save, comforting her when she was upset or something bothered her and Mac couldn't be there.

After Mac had left London due to having to get back to work she had worn a t-shirt he had left behind every night, because his scent helped her finding to sleep. Well, at least at first it had helped, but eventually it had no longer been enough to keep the longing for his presence at bay. The more time passed the longer she lay awake at night missing the feeling of his arms wrapped safely around her, yearning for his warmth - longing to hear the calm, steady beat of his heart when he hold her and her head was resting upon his chest...

Thinking about the passed few months, about all the pain she had caused herself by destroying her relationship with Mac - the fact that he probably hated her for what she had done Peyton felt her walls crumble, her eyes filling with tears and as her mind drifted off to what had happened earlier that night her tears broke free.

As he returned to the bedroom after changing clothes Mac could barely suppress a yawn. Only a moment later he pulled the sheets slightly back. Sitting down on the edge of the bed he put his cell phone on the nightstand before lying down. After he had pulled the blanket over him he turned toward Peyton but despite feeling the urge to draw her into his arms he left some space between them.

Feeling how the mattress dipped down as Mac laid down next to her Peyton snapped out of her thoughts. She wanted nothing more than that Mac would close the space between them, yearning for the comfort of his arms - for him to hold her and dry the tears streaming down her face, telling her that he didn't hate her for what she had done.

Noticing that Peyton was shaking Mac lifted his right hand to her shoulder, but then hesitated for a second or two, unsure if this was such a good idea - if he won't make it only worse by touching her, considering that someone had not just attacked her but had also tried to rape her and then attempted to kill her when she fought back. However, when Peyton didn't flinch away as his fingertips brushed over her shoulder and instead leaned into his touch he moved closer to her and put his arm loosely around her.

It wasn't until now that Peyton was lying in his arms, their bodies only seperated by an inch or two, that he realized that she was crying as he got aware of her quiet sobs. As her sobs increased he tightened carefully his embrace and drew her closer.

"It's okay Peyton..." Mac said soothingly, caressing softly the back of her hand.

After a short moment Peyton muttered,

"I'm sorry..."

Peyton spoke so quiet that her words almost got lost between her sobs, but nonetheless they caused his face to darken, not having missed the pain in her voice, and he told her,

"Don't be, Peyton, what happened wasn't your fault."

Still crying Peyton turned slightly around to look at him and said quietly,

"I know, Mac, but that's not what I meant... I'm sorry for destroying what we had." She lowered her head, unable to stand his gaze,

"I'm sorry for hurting you..."

Hearing that Mac's facial expression softened and he reached for her face, making her look at him. Starting to wipe her tears away he stated,

"Listen Peyton, you should try to get some sleep, after all, it's already quite late and you've been through a lot. We can talk about it tomorrow, after you got some rest, okay?"

When Peyton nodded slightly in response he brushed a strand of hair out of her face, before drawing her closer, causing her to close her eyes and lean her forehead against his chest.

Feeling how Peyton relaxed as she drifted off to sleep a relieved expression crossed Mac's face, being glad that she was getting some rest, and tried to get some sleep as well.

_Around 3:00 AM:_

Mac wasn't sure for how long he had been sleeping when a frightened scream woke him.

Sitting up and turning his head slightly he noticed Peyton sitting next to him and realized that it must have been her scream that had woken him. Her entire body was shaking, he heard that she was crying and he could tell that she had trouble breathing. A few seconds later he lifted his hand to her shoulder.

As she felt a hand reaching for her shoulder Peyton flinched slightly and looked rapidly up.

Seeing the tears streaming down her face Mac removed his left hand from her shoulder, putting his arm around her waist, and drawing her closer he rested his right hand at the back of her head.

Squeezing her eyes shut she buried her face in his chest, her hands clenching tightly his shirt to either side of her head. Soon her entire body was shaking violently due to her sobs and Mac drew her even closer.

Winding the fingers of his right hand into her hair Mac started to stroke softly her back with his other hand. Whispering soothing words to her he rested his chin atop of her head, a sad expression upon his face.

When her sobs started to slowly subside a few minutes later Mac pulled slightly back. Moving his right hand to her face he wiped softly the remains of her tears away. Studying for a moment her face and noticing the exhaustion he asked softly,

"Do you think you'll be able to go back to sleep?"

After a moment of thinking Peyton gave a slight nod and he let go of her, before lying back down.

Lying down again as well Peyton turned away from Mac and curled slightly up. A second or to later Mac turned onto his left side, putting his arm around her waist he drew her closer and Peyton leaned her back against his chest.

_Some time later:_

Peyton was just on the best way to fall asleep again when a cell phone started ringing. Waiting for Mac to answer the call and the sound to subside she moved slightly, trying to get more comfortable.

"Mac..." She said quietly, just loud enough for him to hear.

As the ringing continued, pulling her mind more and more away from its drowsy state, Peyton murmered his name once more, slightly louder than before, while turning toward Mac. Eyes still closed Peyton snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his chest.

"Mac, your phone..." Peyton stated, nudging him lightly with her nose and tapping with her fingertips onto his chest.

When Mac still didn't answer the phone and instead only put his arms around her Peyton opened eventually her eyes and sat slightly up to take a look at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to Mac.

Looking at Mac she pointed out,

"It's only half-passed three... If someone calls this early it's probably important."

Sitting up as well Mac sighed and grabbed the cell phone from the nightstand. Taking a quick glance at the display and seeing his suspicion confirmed he sighed heavily, a deep frown appearing on his face, and quickly pressed the red button, ignoring the call.

"Mac? What's going on?" Peyton inquired, a trace of concern evident in her voice, and studied carefully his face.

At Peyton's question Mac let his head hang and closed momentarily his eyes. For a moment he wondered how to reply, considered to make up a lie, even though he knew that Peyton won't believe it if he told her that it was nothing - he simply didn't want her to know...

Eventually he opened his eyes, but he kept his head lowered, his gaze focused on the cell phone he still held in his right hand, yet his eyes were not really seeing it, and stated,

"It's nothing, Peyton." He looked at her, trying to smile reassuringly, hoping a smile would make her believe his lie, or that it would at least keep her from calling him out on it. However, as he saw the expression on her face he knew that she wasn't convinced, but well, at least he had tried, right?

Peyton frowned, eyeing Mac carefully. She had already noticed earlier that he seemed unusually tired, but only now she got aware of just how exhausted he really seemed.

"I can tell that it is not nothing, Mac. Something is obviously bothering you, so what's wrong?" She wanted to know, she paused for a few seconds before adding,

"What was that call about that you won't answer it?"

"Peyton..." He said softly, before remaining silent for a while, just looking at her while he was thinking. Lifting his right hand to her head he brushed a strand of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear before starting to caress her cheek. Eventually he released a heavy sigh, knowing that she won't let the topic rest until she knew the truth, he also knew that lying won't work.

"It's complicated." He stated, still caressing her cheek. Studying her face he sighed as he noticed the determination in her eyes and mused,

"You're not gonna let it rest until I tell you, are you?"

Peyton shook softly her head no and said,

"I can tell something's bothering you and that call has something to do with it... I want to know what's wrong."

"Peyton, it's already past three, you really need to get some rest right now. We'll talk tomorrow about it." He told her.

"You promise?" Peyton asked.

"Yes, I promise we'll talk tomorrow..." He paused for a moment,

"If you get some rest now."

They locked eyes and eventually she nodded and mumbled,

"Okay."

Hearing that a smile crossed his face and he lay back down. A moment later Peyton rested her head and left hand on his chest, snuggling even closer to him as Mac put his left arm around her. For some time she simply listened to the calm and steady beat of his heart, before she eventually drifted off to sleep.

_Tbc_

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_**A/N:**__ Thanks for reading, hope you liked the chapter! Dunno yet when I will update again... In the meantime please do me a favor and take the time to review!_


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